Evolving concepts of quality in laboratory medicine

Changing ideas about the assessment of quality in the clinical laboratory are reviewed. Questions abound about what constitutes quality in laboratory medicine and about the exact role of the total testing process in providing valued outcomes for the patient. In the clinical laboratory, the end product is pertinent, accurate, timely, and economical information. Subsequent medical service gets its value from an accurate physical diagnosis at the start and the following rational plan of treatment. In this respect, data from laboratory testing is a valuable tool for clinicians. a historical perspective of quality efforts, beginning at the turn of the century, provides a method of evaluating current quality assessment tools